Bengaluru: A 19-year-old first-year BSc LLB student at a private university endured a harrowing experience after being allegedly lured to a lodge by a junior under the pretext of meeting friends. He was threatened, assaulted, and robbed by a gang of six youths, including minors.
Victim's Ordeal
The victim, identified as Aabid (name changed), a resident of RT Nagar, told police that he completed his pre-university course last year at an international residential school near Kengeri. During his PU, one of the accused, a 17-year-old, was studying in class 10 at the same school, and they were acquainted. This year, both joined different colleges.
On May 16, the junior contacted Aabid via Instagram messages and calls. The following day, he insisted on meeting Aabid along with other mutual friends. Aabid was directed to reach Vijayanagar and call him. Upon arriving with another friend, Aabid informed the junior. The junior's friend Harsha then sent the location of a lodge.
The duo arrived at the lodge around 5 pm. The junior took them to a room where they initially chatted casually about studies and college life. The situation turned menacing when the junior asked Aabid's friend to leave. The junior told Aabid to stay for five more minutes, claiming his elder brother would pick them up in a car. Shortly after, five others barged into the room. All six immediately demanded to know how much money Aabid had. When he said he had none, they forced him to hold drugs and a lethal weapon and recorded a video on their mobile phones to blackmail him, threatening to leak the footage if he failed to pay.
Aabid pleaded with them to delete the video and let him go unharmed. They then took him in an auto to Nagarabhavi around 6 pm. At a deserted spot, they assaulted him, snatched his mobile phone, and repeatedly tried to take loans in his name using his phone. When their attempts failed, they robbed him of his phone, wristwatch, and earbuds, abandoning him on the roadside around 8:30 pm.
Police Action
The traumatized student returned home and informed his parents. On May 18, he went to Byatarayanapura police station with his parents and lodged a complaint. A case was registered under BNS sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 127 (wrongful confinement), and 310 (dacoity). A senior officer stated, “We have arrested 19-year-old Harsha and two juveniles, including the junior, and efforts are on to nab three others.”
The accused confessed that they targeted Aabid because he came from a wealthy family, and they wanted quick money for partying.
